Woman sues over deputy's kiss

The lawsuit claims the sheriff didn't do enough to prevent the unwanted act.

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 11, 2000

A Pasco County court clerk has sued Sheriff Lee Cannon, claiming he failed to adequately prevent one of his deputies from touching her after the deputy had been warned against his actions toward women in the courthouse.

Kimberly Frank filed suit Friday in Pasco County Circuit Court. Her suit asks for unspecified damages against the sheriff.

The suit claims that in 1998, former Deputy Roy Anderson inappropriately touched several women at the West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey. The suit says Anderson's supervisors warned him not to touch women in October, but he kissed Frank on Nov. 9, 1998.

Frank's suit claims that Cannon was negligent because he did not take "reasonable corrective action to prevent such actions from occurring again, which it did."

Sheriff's Office officials, at the time, said no investigation was begun when they learned of the touching in October 1998, because none of the women filed a complaint.

After the incident with Frank, investigators found that Anderson's conduct was unbecoming that of a deputy, but it did not violate the department's sexual harassment policy. He was suspended for 15 days without pay and transferred from his bailiff's duties.

Sheriff's spokesman Kevin Doll on Monday afternoon said Anderson no longer was a deputy with the department. However, Doll said he did not know specifically how Anderson's employment with the department ended. Doll also said the department had not yet received the lawsuit and generally didn't comment on pending cases.

-- Information from Times files was used in this report.

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